Harford Legacy Farm Commemorative Book

39

Model Farm est. 1906 - Fallston, MD

Current Owners: George, John, Ben, and Bill Amoss Original Purchaser: Hamilton J. Amos Current Acreage: 132

Current Agricultural Products or Services: corn and soybean rotation with timber management sales; previously a dairy farm Preserved Model Farm had been in the Divers' family in the 1800s; many Divers are buried in a church cemetery directly across Rt. 152 from Model Farm. Ben's dad purchased the farm in 1906. It has remained in the Amoss family since then.

Ben and Loretta Amoss purchased Model Farm from his father in 1934 for $15,000 funded by a loan from his uncle. It was a dairy farm with about 140 acres. These were challenging years during the Depression with the rationing of life essentials. Loretta made dresses out of flowered animal feed bags. She fed a growing family and hired hands that worked on the farm. The 1950s brought a better outlook, with 6 children they needed to expand the dairy operations.

A new 135-foot-long dairy barn was built and connected to an older bank barn made from logs in the 1800s. An old wooden silo was demolished and two new 60ft concrete slap silos were constructed over time. The new barn held 60 milking cows and the old barn was converted to hold nursing cows and calves. At one time, Ben owned about 30 Walker fox hounds. His hounds were entered in regional "hunt trials" and "dog shows" winning many ribbons and trophies.

Top: Ben Amoss - 1940s; Bottom: Hamilton Amoss with bull - 1920s

Ben always had a love of, and a "way with animals". Morning and evening, every day, he milked his dairy cows. They would respond to his "call" and come from the meadow to the barn. He told his kids: "Farming is hard and sometimes dirty work, but it is the kind of dirt that washes off." His way of saying don't get involved in "dirty work" you will not be proud of.